Stuck at Sea
by jewelianna
Summary: L/P are forced to spend a day alone on the ocean. Maybe it's exactly what they needed. Post Season 5, if there'd been no phone call at the very end. Title from The Honorary Title.


It was the perfect day for a sail. Summer had finally arrived in Tree Hill, with a blast of sunshine and a breeze off the ocean that whipped new leaves around in all their verdant glory. The boards of the dock creaked under Lucas's flip-flops as he padded out to Andy's boat, dragging a cooler full of beer and turkey sandwiches behind him. Up ahead, Lily danced with the end of the mooring rope, her long dark hair swinging in a ponytail, sunglasses giving her the look of a Hollywood star-baby.

Peyton had given her those. She had a pair just like them that Lily had taken to at the Memorial Day picnic. They'd been custom ordered in a child's size and shown up a few days later. His little sister rarely took them off, fighting to sleep with them. After all, she argued, if it was already dark in the room, what difference would it make?

Sometimes he saw Keith's unflappable logic in her so clearly that a chill ran down his spine.

Today, though, Lily skipped in the sunshine, smiling up at him as he hoisted the cooler over the rail. "Momma said that we could jump off the boat and go swimming!"

It was her new favorite pastime, thanks to a bright pink life-vest. Lucas ruffled her hair and lifted her aboard behind the cooler. "Just as long as you save me from any sharks."

"There aren't any sharks here! We saw sharks in Florida! They were scary and had teeth like this." She pulled back her lips in a menacing grimace, so silly it was hard for Lucas to feign fright.

The funny face dropped into a cheerful smile as his sister began to wave. "Peyton!" she called out, frantically climbing back onto the dock and running down to catch her new best friend by the knees. Peyton reached down to hug her, tucking her matching sunglasses up to hold back her curls.

Lucas hadn't realized that Peyton had been invited on the family cruise day. He knew that his sister had fallen for his ex, but since his drunken bender and apology there had been a careful distance between them. They circled each other at social gatherings or nights out at TRIC, but never really talked or stood near each other without the safety of the group.

Haley had chastised him about it, repeatedly. He knew he should have talked to Peyton about everything, but there had been the chaos with Jamie, and then a few weeks of heavy mourning after Lindsay was gone. He'd lost a woman he loved and an editor he respected all because he was too stupid to realize that his writing wasn't as straightforward as he'd believed. Plus, there was a heavy sense of guilt for having hurt Peyton so unnecessarily. His apology had seemed trite, and embarrassingly insufficient.

Looking back now, it seemed so avoidable, so silly that it had to go down that way. But then again, it seemed inevitable that it would have ended.

Once the pain had dulled, Lucas had begun to realize that Lindsay was right about a few things. He hadn't figured out how to deal with that; just knowing it was true made everything a little shaky.

Aftershocks, he supposed. Peyton Sawyer had moved back to town and caused an earthquake that was still rocking them every day.

She smiled at him and gave a sheepish wave. The tie of a bikini top peeked out the wide neck of her navy striped shirt, and his sister clung to her leg below crisp white shorts. He took a minute to admire those legs, scrawny but so strong, the objects of many, many fantasies over the years. Then Lily was running back to him, chattering a million miles a minute about their planned day at sea.

"Hey," Peyton said quietly, twisting her hands around the strap of her bag. "Thanks for letting me invade your day."

"I didn't exactly know about it until now," he admitted, instantly regretting the awkwardness it caused.

"Oh. Well, I can go. I actually have some stuff for the label that probably should get in the mail today, so…"

"Peyt." He watched her shift her weight from foot to foot, trying to decide to stay or go. "Stay. Lily's all excited, and I know my mom's been complaining that she doesn't see you enough. It'll be fun."

"You're sure?" She squinted up at him. He loved that look, a hint of insecurity that peaked out sometimes.

"Definitely." Stepping on board, he held out a hand to help her. "Let's weigh anchor and hoist the sails."

She smiled, dropping his hands once on deck. "Ok, Captain Sparrow, but this is a motor boat, which means there are no sails. Sorry to disappoint you."

He put on a fake pout, loving that they could play like this, the awkwardness of the past months vanished when friends weren't constantly stirring it up. "Does that mean they'll be no frigging in the rigging?"

" 'Fraid not. But if you're good, maybe you'll get to shiver me timbers." She winked at him before jaunting up to the bow, peeling off her shirt as she went. He caught a glimpse of the tiny strings around her back and inwardly groaned.

All for his family, he promised himself then and there. Nothing between him and Peyton until more time had passed and they'd really talked things out.

They left the dock a short time later, and Andy led them through the harbor, out to sea. On the open water, the sun was scorching. Lucas leaned over the side, letting the cool ocean spray blow back in his face. Peyton and his mother had stretched out on towels on the bow, and Lily clung close to Andy helping him to steer.

It was funny, that he'd grown up on the coast but never spent much time on the water. His mom and Keith had been good about taking him to see ball games in Charlotte or historical sites in Raleigh and Charleston, but they'd never spent much time at the beach or on the sea. His mother seemed to be enjoying it now, though. He watched her carefully climb over the piles of rope on the deck, making her way back to him with sea legs of a time-worn sailor.

"Penny for your thoughts," she asked, leaning back against the rail beside him.

He smiled at her, so glad she was home again. "Haven't you heard? I'm a famous novelist now. My thoughts go for a lot more than that."

"Oh, the ego on this boy! Where's the kid I raised who used to give back his allowance to take his mom to the movies?"

Lucas laughed, remembering how touched his mom had been when he'd escorted her to see Titanic. They may not have had grand yachting vacations the way his sister would, but they'd had good times. Good memories.

"So, Peyton looks like she's doing better. She didn't look so great when I first got back."

Lucas glanced to the front of the boat, but Peyton was out of sight. "She had a rough go of it in LA, and getting the label up and running was a lot more work than she anticipated. But she's doing okay."

"That may be true, but I think that some of it might have to do with you."

His mother was always so right on. Even when she had been gone for years, she could size things up in a matter of seconds. "I wouldn't really know," was all he could say.

"Lucas, the day of your wedding the girl was pale as a ghost. She looked like she couldn't decide whether to vomit or faint or run."

"Or beat up the bride."

"No, I don't think that was on her list. She wanted you to be happy, Lucas. She came that day because she wanted to support you, even though it broke her heart to sit there and watch you pledge your love for someone else. I liked Lindsay, you know I did, but do you think she would have done that for you?"

Lucas gripped the rail, watching the shoreline fade away. "I don't know. Apparently there were a lot of things about Lindsay I didn't know. Like her rampant insecurity. But it's too late to do anything about that."

His mom squeezed his arm reassuringly. "Sometimes things just aren't meant to be. And sometimes, timing isn't always right. Look at me and Andy. If I hadn't left him, I would never have had Lily, and I wouldn't have these wonderful memories of my time with Keith. It wasn't right then, and it broke my heart. But things that are meant to be have a way of working themselves out. You've just got to have a little faith."

"I do." He looked down at his mother, relaxing his grip on the rail so he could pull her into a hug. "I really missed you, you know that?"

"I do, but it's always good to hear. Come on, take the helm for a while so Andy can help me set up lunch."

Lucas headed for the stairs to the upper deck as his mom went into the cabin below. He relieved Andy, happy to take the wheel. The boat danced over the waves, churning the sea into foam. Below him on the deck, Peyton was stretched out, headphones in her ears, iPod resting on her stomach. Her fingers tapped a beat on her thigh as she listened.

Putting her out of his mind, Luke slowed the throttle and let the boat come to rest. Andy had found a spot where they could anchor for the day, so Lily could go deep-sea swimming and the rest of them could relax. Behind them, the shoreline was silhouetted on the horizon.

Andy jogged back up and cut the engine, and together they went down for lunch.

"Lunch is ready. Go get Peyton, will you Luke?"

Luke shrugged and walked carefully to the bow. He let his shadow fall over her rather than shocking her with a touch. It was instinctual, and he didn't know if she was still afraid when people unexpectedly touched her. There was a lot that he didn't know anymore, little holes in their relationship that needed to be filled before it was whole again.

She pulled up her sunglasses and smiled at him, dropping her headphones from her ears. "Where's Lily?"

"She's in the back with my mom. They've got lunch ready." Holding out a hand, he helped her up and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around her neck. "Hope you like turkey sandwiches."

"Who doesn't like turkey sandwiches?" she asked philosophically, smiling as he nudged her shoulder.

He ducked into the shade of the cabin, noting the food spread out on the table. Hungry, he grabbed a sandwich and began rooting around for a beer in the cooler.

"Um, Luke, where is everybody?"

Caught with his mouth full, Luke looked around while he chewed and swallowed. "They must have gone up top. I'll go find out what's up." Putting down his sandwich, Luke brushed past her back onto the deck.

He found his family at the back of the boat, untying the motorized raft. "What's going on?"

His mom was busy packing up her large tote bay as Lily sat on a box, swinging her feet listlessly. "Lily's not feeling too well, so we're going to take her back in the tender. But you and Peyton should stay. It's a beautiful day. Andy'll be back out later to help you take the boat in."

"You don't need to do that. We can all go back. Peyton was saying earlier that she had work she should have been doing. We'll do this next weekend." Warning bells about being alone with Peyton rang in his ears.

His mom reached up to kiss his cheek. "That's sweet of you, but really, you two stay out here. God knows someone should be getting some use out of this boat, it's just docked in the marina most days lately. Stay, get some sun, go swimming. I'll see you later."

He looked down at his little sister, still not sure this was a good plan. "You gonna be okay?"

She shrugged, and crawled into Andy's arms as he lifted her into the raft. "I'll see you around five," he said, and before Lucas could protest further they were speeding back to shore.

He watched them fade, the roar of the engine mixing with Peyton's footsteps as she came up behind him. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I think." He turned and offered her a sheepish grin. "Either this is a very odd turn of events, or we've just been set up." He gestured to the raft as it sped away. "My family just abandoned us."

"Oh." Conflict danced in her eyes. "You think they planned this?"

"I think," he began, "that I wouldn't put it past my mother to pull something like this." He knew that his mom wanted him to talk to Peyton, but he really hadn't seen this coming. He felt unready, and his heart pounded a little bit faster when he realized they were well and truly alone.

Nodding, Peyton glanced back over her shoulder. "Well, at least they left us with food, right?"

At least there was that, Lucas thought, as they walked back into the cabin together. He had a feeling that sustenance would be needed.

Lunch was awkward, but they talked about Jamie and Lily, and the trouble they go into. Safe topics, neutral ones that didn't reference the past or the wedding.

It was easy, just talking. Then, as the picked at potato chip crumbs, Peyton dropped her soda, and Lucas knelt to mop it up before it soaked into the dark carpet. She bent beside him, paper towels in hand, and when he looked up, she was studying him with sad eyes and a wisp of a smile. He couldn't look away, and her smiled widened as she took the sopping towels from his hand and threw them away. She left, bouncing back out to the deck, leaving him speechless on the floor of the cabin.

He finished cleaning up and put the rest of the food away, then followed her up on the deck. The sun burned brightly overhead, and he stripped off his shirt as he walked to the bow where Peyton sat on the lounge chair.

Sunlight danced off Peyton's hair as the wind tossed it about. She tucked it back behind her ear absently, and went back to drawing. Lucas watched as she colored violently across the page. He'd forgotten how lost she became in her art. It had been years since he'd seen her draw.

She's told him once that drawing was her therapy, something that she did when life wasn't going the way she wanted. He wondered what weighed on her mind now that sent her back to her sketchbook. It was him, he suspected. It was a powerful charge that he still had that impact over her head, and her heart.

"Whatcha drawing?" he asked. She looked up, curling her legs up under her, pulling the pad to her chest.

"Nothing. It's not very good. I'm kinda out of practice." The pencil turned in her fingers aimlessly as she spoke, drawing his eye to her hands. There were smudges of charcoal on her fingertips.

He remembered finding similar smudges on the back of his T-shirt one night his junior year of high school. She was upset over a fight with Brooke and had clung to him, cried on his shoulder.

"Can I see?" he asked, reaching for the edge of her pad. She bit her lip, but relinquished it reluctantly.

"Okay, but, it's just. It's rough, so don't expect anything too great."

Sitting on the side of the chair, Lucas turned the book and smiled. It was Lily, bright smile on her face, flowers in her hair like the day of the wedding.

"This is great, Peyt. You should make a copy of this for my mom, she'd love it."

"Yeah. I was actually thinking that I'd give it to you, something to keep when your mom and Lily set sail again." She uncurled a little bit, leaning forward to touch the page.

A lump grew in Lucas's throat, and he touched her hand gently. Sparks there, and heat, but he swallowed and just said, "Thank you."

For a moment there was nothing but the sound of the water and the wind, then Peyton said quietly "I watched her a lot that day. She was so cute, and safe, you know. I wasn't going to cry if I looked at her."

Lucas stared at the page where their hands touched, realizing that he was slowly rubbing his thumb against the side of her hand. Soft skin, and he wanted to touch her more, in more places. "I never thanked you, for being there that day. It sounds pretty messed up, but I was glad you were there."

"If I hadn't been there, Lindsay probably would have married you. She wouldn't have seen my car." Her voice caught on Lindsay's name, a little hitch that gave away how hard it was for her to say.

"She would have realized it eventually. And it would have been so much worse if she'd married me and then realized."

"You never seemed to realize," Peyton challenged. She pulled her hand back, leaning back against the lounger. Lucas felt the distance grow between them once again.

It was hard for him to put into words everything that had happened in those twenty-four hours leading up to, and away from, the disastrous wedding. The belief that he was moving down the right path had quickly transitioned to feeling hopelessly lost in a world where nothing looked familiar, not even the people closest to him.

"I knew," he finally admitted. "I knew what I was writing about. And I never tried to deceive her. But I thought, I really thought, that I could separate this whole fictional reality where there was you and me and things just worked out, from the real world where there was all this other stuff in the way. Like if I could just write everything the way I wanted, I'd be happy to live this alternative life."

He wasn't doing a very good job of explaining it, because Peyton was staring off into the water, not looking at him at all.

"I'm sorry."

She looked back then, hurt and confusion mixed in her eyes. "For what?"

"I don't really know." He should have been able to explain this better. He was a writer, for God's sake. Lucas dragged a hand through his hair in frustration and turned to rest his elbows on his knees. It was easier when he didn't have to look at her. "I'm sorry that you got caught up in all of this, I guess. That you're hurting, and I'm responsible for it."

He felt her shifting around, curling her feet up again, pulling back into the corner of the chair as far away from him as she could be. He sketch pad lay on the chair untouched between them. "I don't know what to say to that, Luke. You want me to tell you it's all okay? That I don't blame you for causing this weirdness that keeps me up all night trying to figure out what the hell is going on? Cause I can't do that."

"I know. I wouldn't expect…" he trailed off, not sure what else he could say. "I should have talked to you sooner," he finally admitted. "I should have been more honest about why I chose Lindsay."

"You loved her. You made that perfectly clear. You loved Lindsay, you wanted to be with her. I was just your fantasy girl, the one who inspired you to write, but you didn't want to be with in real life."

The bitterness in her voice broke something in him, and he turning to face her once again. "That's not it at all. God, Peyton, you said no. I gave you my heart and you said no. I couldn't do that again. I couldn't bear to have my love handed back to me again. I chose Lindsay because it seemed like the safe choice. She could never hurt me the way that you could. I loved her, but it didn't break me when she left. Not they way it did three years ago."

"I didn't leave you, Lucas. You're the one who walked away." Her face was mean now, reminding him that they'd both been hurt that night in LA.

"I walked away because I couldn't face you in the morning. Not knowing that you didn't want to marry me, to spend the rest of your life with me. My heart couldn't take it."

"Your heart's always been stronger than you gave it credit for."

"Not when it came to you. Do you remember after my heart attack senior year, you were afraid to kiss me?"

She didn't answer him. He waited, but all she did was pick up the sketchpad and walk away, leaving him alone on the bow under the unrelenting sun.

She came back later, an hour so, when he'd given up avoiding her and just sat on the edge of the boat, legs dangling above the water. She sat beside him, skinny legs bumping against his as the waves gently rocked the boat. He watched her carefully, and let her speak first.

"I never said no, Lucas. And I know it may have sounded like it, but it wasn't a no. I told you that before you even proposed to Lindsay. I never wanted to lose you then. I don't want to lose you now. But you almost married someone else. You stood up in front of your friends and families and pledged to love her forever. I can't just pretend that didn't happen."

He'd been so resolved to make the best of what he'd been given that Lucas hadn't ever stopped to realize that someday he and Peyton might be here again and he'd have to account for that. This time, he was more careful, and spoke slowly, hoping every word would come out right. "I don't want to say that Lindsay was second best, because I cared about her. I would have loved her. But she never would have been you. It never would have been the same. I can't say what would have happened down the line. We might have been happy together, or it might not have lasted. But it would never have been you."

Peyton grabbed the railing as another boat went by and sent rippling waves in their direction. "So where do we go from here?" She rocked into him as the boat tipped.

"I don't know. Forward, I guess."

"Right. Backward at this point would be a bad idea."

"Definitely a bad idea." Lucas took her hand in his, hoping she wouldn't pull it away. "I think about you. Not the Peyton I knew in high school or the one I proposed to, but the Peyton here, now. Record executive Peyton, who steals clothes from her friend Brooke and loves my little sister. I think about her as much as, and in the same way that I thought about High School Cheerleader Peyton."

"I'm the same person, Luke." She didn't take her hand away. "We're both the same people, and we've got all the same issues that we've always had."

Smiling, Lucas cocked his head. "I'm pretty sure Brooke's over me by now, if that helps."

Her laugh was infectious, breaking the tension, setting his heart free. "I think we're safe from that. But seriously, Luke. You know that I love you. I guess the question is, do you think you could forgive me for not marrying you three years ago?"

"I think we need to take it slow," Lucas began. His throat clenched when he thought of losing her again. "Because if we do this, I'm not going to let you go. Ever. So if you're not ready for that, that's okay. I can wait. Or not. Whatever you want. But once we begin, that's it for me. I want it all, Peyton. I want everything."

He watched her face, the lick of fear in her eyes and the pull of her lips. Ultimatums had never gone over well with her, but he couldn't do this any other way. It was all or nothing now. Just like when they were 16, only this time, it was forever.

She squeezed his hand and took it between her own. "I remember the night I couldn't give you everything. I was too scared. And then I think about the night when I told you it _was_ what I wanted. That never changed. So if it's all or nothing, I pick all. Because these last three years without you have been hell, Lucas."

"No more," he promised, eyes fixed on her. "No more."

She slowly leaned into him, letting her head fall to his shoulder. Her curls tickled his skin, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Her skin was warm and sunkissed, freckling on the shoulders.

Warmth flowed through him as she fit so rightly against his side, tucked under the arm he wrapped around her back. She laughed as his fingers grazed her bare ribs below the tie to her bikini top, and as her head fell back he caught her eye. She paused mid-giggle as he leaned close and kissed her.

She tasted of beer and mints and that something that was undeniably Peyton. She tasted like home, like pep rallies and late-night drives, like slightly seedy hotel rooms and vending machine dinners, like hope and brightness and that feeling that everything is finally going to be all right.

It was a lot to put into a kiss, he knew that, but it all rushed back as she parted her lips and he took the advantage to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue brush at her mouth until she opened fully, turning into him magnetically.

With a sudden break and a pant for breath, Peyton smiled at him. He tried to kiss her again, but she had other ideas. Sparks flew as she peppered kisses across his cheek, and his eyes fell closed. Her mouth did magical things behind his ear, and he tightened his grip on her waist as she twisted around him, dangerously close to falling into the water.

"Peyt." He tried to warn her, but she nipped at his earlobe and he could only groan. Pulling her back to his mouth, he kissed her again, lust churning like a hurricane as he pulled her closer, one of her legs now thrown over his. He knew she could feel his hardness pressed against her.

He was dizzy with the love of it, not breaking the kiss, letting her control the angles and depth as she shifted more fully onto his lap. Lucas struggled to grasp her, but the boat rocked and she leaned back dangerously over the water. Her eyes caught his and for a moment, they glittered like emeralds before she pulled him toward her, sending them both crashing into the water.

The sea closed over his head and he swallowed a salty mouthful before surfacing, sputtering and splashing to where she laughed nearby. Grabbing at her waist, he tugged her back under, following her down to watch as her hair danced in the water. When they surfaced again, she wrapped her legs around his waist and let his lazy kicks keep them afloat.

"You're all wet," she teased, threading her fingers through his hair.

"So are you," he responded, hands on her back keeping her close to him. He toyed with the tie of her bikini top, giving a gentle tug to see if it was fall loose. It stayed disappointingly tight.

Peyton splashed at his face and broke free, swimming back toward the boat. He watched appreciatively as she hoisted herself back onto the deck, diamond-drops of water falling as she shook her hair dry. Lust slammed into him, and he realized exactly how long it has been since he'd been with her.

He took a moment to compose himself before climbing up behind her and reaching for a towel. She snapped hers at him, sending him dancing out of the way, around the corner to the bow. She followed, chasing, until he caught her around the waist and hauled her back to him. Her body melted against his, and her lips were eager to be kissed once again.

"Lucas," she sighed, and it sounded like a song. "I love you."

"I love you too. Peyton." He said her name, letting its familiarity seep back in. This was good, he thought. "We can do this. Here, now, you and me."

She toyed with the necklace he wore, tugging on the simple chain. "I never doubted that we could." She lifted to her toes and kissed him again, soft moan rising from her throat as he gently rubbed the back of her neck.

Smoothly, her hands fell away and reached for his. He watched as she linked their fingers together and squeezed. Then she slowly reached behind her back to rest his hands on the tie to her top. He watched her eyes carefully, but saw only love there.

"Are you sure?"

"I love you," was all she said. He tugged on the strings and this time, they fell apart in his hands. He followed the fabric as it slid off of her back and around her side. Her eyes closed as his thumbs grazed the soft skin under her breasts.

His mind raced as his hands wandered higher, teasing a nipple into a taunt point. He stepped back to slide the straps off of her arms and see her, almost nude before him. She reached her arms behind his neck and kissed him again, and he couldn't take it any more. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he lifted her up into his arms. Two steps forward and her back was pressed against the cabin wall.

She murmured something as he hitched one leg up and wrapped it around his waist, desperate for some friction, something to give him a little bit of release. They were in the middle of the open ocean- a boat could come by at any moment, but he didn't care. All that mattered was being as close to Peyton as possible.

A hand on his chest had him stopping, panting for breath as Peyton pushed him away gently. "This wall is really painful," she said quickly, before taking his hand and leading him to the lounge chair and sinking down gracefully. He settled above her and had to agree it was much better. Her body twined with his, one knee raised, hands everywhere.

The damp bathing suit was getting damned restrictive. Lucas ground against her, letting one hand slide down between them to the tiny scrap of nylon that was all she wore. He rubbed her through the suit and watched her back arch in pleasure. He teased her core, taking as much pleasure from watching her as she received from his touch.

Her thumbs hooked at the edge of her suit and she shimmied out of herself. Tossing it aside, he had only a moment to appreciate her bare body before her hands were reaching for his waistband, tugging the drawstring free and pulling the swimsuit down his hips.

"Wait," he said, sucking in a breath through his teeth. "I don't have anything." It killed him to pull away, but he wouldn't risk that. They needed peace and stability, not pregnancy scares if this relationship was going to work.

"It's okay. I'm on the pill, I'm clean. Luke, it's okay." She cradled his face in her hands and kissed him gently. "We've waited so long already."

Her legs wrapped around his waist, and Luke hovered above her for a moment, just to watch her face before sliding in. She smiled as they came together, an infectious grin that he felt spreading on his own face.

Slowly they began to move together, a pace that deceived the desperation he felt. He moved slower, savoring, making every kiss and caress count. She twisted beneath him, meeting his thrusts, until he thought he would scream.

"Peyton." Her name was the only coherent thought he could manage as he balanced on the precipice of control.

Her eyes opened and she smiled at him once more. "I love you," she whispered.

It was enough to send him over the edge, and his body clenched and shuddered with relief. He reached down between them as waves of pleasure hit him, taking her with him only a moment later.

His breath was heavy, his heartbeat racing. The hot afternoon sun and humidity beat down on his already sweaty body. It was like being on fire. In a good way. He shifted a bit to the right, curling over her, letting her soft kisses flit across his forehead.

"Wow," she murmured happily. "That was fun."

He snorted into her shoulder. "We should do it again sometime."

"Mmm, definitely." She tipped his chin to look up at her, and he smiled at the softness in her eyes.

They lay stretched out together for the rest of the afternoon, talking quietly, laughing brightly. It wasn't until the roar of an approaching boat stirred the quiet of the day that Lucas realized they were still naked.

They scrambled for their suits, and Lucas was just tying the back of her bikini when he felt the bump of the tender against the back of the boat. He strolled back, grabbing the ladder to the second floor for balance as the boat swayed. Andy grinned at him, eyes hidden behind large sunglasses.

"How's Lily?" Lucas asked.

"Fine. Seems her brilliant breakfast combination of yogurt and Fritos didn't sit so well on the water. She was well enough back on land. Did you and Peyton have a nice time?"

"Yeah. Went for a swim, you know. Got some sun. It's been pretty quiet out here." Peyton came up behind him then and laid a hand on Lucas's shoulder.

Lucas knew that Andy noticed the look that passed between him and Peyton, but his mother's boyfriend didn't say a word. Instead, he tightened the rope on the raft and started up the stairs. "Better get back in before the marina gets crowded with booze cruises."

With a laugh, Lucas helped Peyton gather the towels while Andy guided the boat back to shore. He could have handled it himself after his month at sea, but he knew Andy was protective of his boat. It reminded Lucas of Keith with his car when Lucas was first learning to drive.

At the dock, Peyton offered to drive Lucas home, and they thanked Andy again for the day on the water. Lucas walked stiffly to the car, realizing that he must have gotten more sun than he'd expected. At home, he jumped into the shower, only to yelp as the water stung his skin.

Peyton burst through the bathroom door, still in her swimsuit under her clothes.

Lucas stared at her, pain radiating from his back. Slowly, he turned, and he knew that should wouldn't be able to contain the laughter.

"Oh my God, Luke. Your ass is bright red!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect to be exposing it when I put sunscreen on this morning."

Peyton reached into the shower and turned off the water, then gently blotted him dry with a towel. She rummaged through the cabinet below the sink before pulling out a bottle of goopy green aloe. "Come on, I'll help you with that." She directed him back to his room, where he stretched out on the bed and let her smear the cold green gel on his skin.

"You know, this is probably the least sexy ending to a date I've ever had." The pillow, and a hint of mortification, muffled his voice.

Finished, Peyton capped the bottle and slid onto the bed beside him. "Yeah, but just think. Now I'm going to feel obligated to stay here and take care of you until you're healed. And it'll probably be best not to put clothes on for a while. So really, you've created a scenario that involves the two of us, and nakedness, for the foreseeable future. What's not sexy about that?"

He grinned at her, loving her playful logic. "Have I told you that I love you recently?"

She twisted so she could kiss him, light and sweet. "I'll never get tired of hearing it."

"I love you." He nipped at her, teasing little kisses. "And I'm never letting you go again."

Peyton smiled warmly at him. "True Love Always, right?"

"Always."

Soon, she left to cook him dinner, and found him a pair of loose shorts to wear. They ate standing in the kitchen, bland pasta and vegetables. He would teach her to cook, while she loaded his MP3 player with new music. Someday, they'd have friends over for dinner, and hang finger paintings on the fridge. And it was as they stood hip to hip to wash and dry the dishes that he knew that if this was how he ended every night for the rest of his life, he'd never be unhappy again.


End file.
